Fisher catches Loughborough opening victory dispite Kinch's century

A FIRST Premier League century from Liam Kinch was the highlight of Sileby Town’s return to the top flight, although Paul Fisher and Loughborough Town had the last laugh as the visitors knocked off the required runs with five overs and four wickets to spare.

A FIRST Premier League century from Liam Kinch was the highlight of Sileby Town’s return to the top flight, although Paul Fisher and Loughborough Town had the last laugh as the visitors knocked off the required runs with five overs and four wickets to spare.

Loughborough won the toss and had no hesitation in putting Sileby in, but they didn’t get the early results they wanted as Jake Gillett and Jigar Naik put on 59 for the first wicket.

Naik departed to Neal Gamble, trapped leg before for 11, but his wicket brought Kinch to the crease, which is where he would stay through until the end of the innings as Loughborough couldn’t shift the teenager from the crease as he recorded his third career century in the Everards League.

Kinch and Gillett put on 33 for the second wicket only for Paul Fisher to break the stand by enticing a leg before decision from the umpire with Gillett departing for 39.

Mo Khan, on his Sileby debut following his arrival from Leicester Banks, put on 35 with Kinch only to nick behind when on eight, leaving Sileby 127 for three, Parikh the successful bowler.

Luke Gale chipped a tame catch back to Fisher to give him his second victim and with that the visitors didn’t let up as wickets fell regularly as Sileby looked for quick runs.

Kinch passed his 50 from 81 balls and his hundred from 120, with 17 fours, as the home side were bowled out from the final ball of the innings for 214 with Kinch registering 103 not out. Fisher claimed figures of 7 for 33 from 13 overs while Parikh took 2 for 57 and Gamble 1 for 16 from seven overs.

Loughborough’s reply early on was based around James Bull, who made 49, as Sileby made early inroads with skipper Matt Ellis enticing a nick behind to Gillett in the slips from James Taylor (19 for 1) and Tom Flowers was cleaned up by the same bowler for 16 to leave the visitors 44 for 2.

Bull’s stay at the crease was ended by Lee Medcroft, as he nicked behind to Richard Preston, as he was the first of three wickets to fall for 15 runs as Bull, Harvey Singh Upal and Mitchell Buck came and went to leave Loughborough 119 for five.

However, Parikh and Nathan Buck wrestled the initiative back with a stand of 57 for the sixth wicket. Parikh holed out to Kinch’s first ball with Medcroft showing safe hands in the deep.

That was the last bright spot for Sileby though as Nathan Buck and Gamble knocked off the remaining runs they needed to give them maximum points. Ellis was the pick of the bowling with 2 for 14 and Naik took 2 for 47.

Despite the reverse, Sileby will be pleased with their performance and the 10 points will be a welcome start to the season. Things don’t get any easier for Sileby as they travel to face Illston Abey tomorrow (Saturday). Loughborough meanwhile take on Hinckley at Park Road.